Falling Softly
by iloveromance
Summary: Frasier's unexpected Christmas gift to his family makes a childhood dream of Daphne's come true. And as that dream is fulfilled, someone else's dream may come true as well. A birthday gift for Pat2Trivia4Me.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Written with many thanks and happy birthday wishes to Pat2Trivia4Me for your support of my writing and your friendship. And I appreciate the invaluable help you gave me when I had the idea for this story a few months ago! **_

Martin looked around the living room and groaned. "All right, Fras. Are you going to tell us why you made us all come to this family meeting in the middle of the afternoon? And aren't you and Roz supposed to be at work?"

"We worked that out with Kenny." Roz explained. "They're playing _The Best of Frasier Crane_, but I'm sure that we're going to pay for this _unexcused absence_ when we come back to work tomorrow. Boy, Kenny can be a real pain when he wants to be!"

Frasier's enthusiastic smile disappeared and he glared at his father. "Well, excuse me for wanting to share some news with my family! I'm sorry I disrupted your busy life!"

"Damn right it's busy!" Martin said. "The Sonics are just two games away from-."

Frasier held up his hand, silencing his father. "I do not care to hear about the Sonics, nor do I want to hear about the Seahawks or the Mariners. I've heard enough about sports from Bulldog's ranting on his show to last me a lifetime!"

"Well, he's got a right to be mad and so do I!" Martin said. "I can't believe they traded-."

"STOP!" Frasier yelled, bringing his father to silence once more.

"Frasier what is this all about?" Niles asked. "I don't mind coming over of course, but it was a bit of an inconvenience trying to rearrange my patient schedule on such short notice."

Frasier smirked at his little brother and the way Niles was staring dreamily at Daphne. "Yes, Niles… I'm sure coming over here was an inconvenience. But I appreciate your willingness to arrive so quickly."

"Well it certainly _is_ an inconvenience!" Daphne said. She turned to Niles and touched his arm. "I didn't mean you, Dr. Crane. You're always welcome here. I was talking about your brother and this important meeting! I have Christmas presents to wrap, Dr. Crane! And one of them, I might add is yours!"

"Fine." Frasier said. "How nice that everyone has shared how they've been inconvenienced! That is, except for Eddie. But he can't talk so he doesn't count!"

"Oh, he talks." Martin said with a grin on his face.

Frasier crossed his arms and glared at his father. "Is that so?"

"Damn right it's so!" Martin replied. "He just doesn't talk to people who hate him!"

"Dad, I never said I _hated_ him!" Frasier insisted. "I just don't like the way he stares at me all the time!"

"But he doesn't _know_ that Frasier!" Martin said, putting his hands over Eddie's ears.

"Well then Dad, I suggest you tell him!"

"Bloody hell, will someone _please_ tell me what we're doing here?" Daphne yelled.

Quietness filled the room as Frasier cleared his throat. "Okay. As you all know, I am a big believer in gifts from the heart and showing those whom I love how much they mean to me and so-."

"Are you sending me to Hawaii for a week?" Daphne asked, her eyes sparkling. "Oh Dr. Crane, I hinted about this for months but I didn't think you heard me!"

"Oh, I heard you all right." Frasier mumbled.

"I mean, I didn't want to say anything out loud because I didn't want you to think I was being ungrateful for everything you've given me. But every time I see those commercials about the Hawaiian cruises, I just-."

"STOP!" Frasier yelled again, causing Daphne to recoil back into the sofa. "At this rate you'll get your Christmas gifts on Easter!"


	2. Chapter 2

With a sigh Frasier turned to his father's physical therapist. "Daphne I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm not sending you to Hawaii. In fact this year I'm doing things a little different. The gifts I have for each of you don't come in a box or even from a store."

"Oh geez…" Martin groaned. "Not this again!"

Frasier's hands went to his hips. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what it means!" Martin replied. "You remember what happened the last time you tried this whole _emotional gift_ crap? Well, let's see… You started a war between Roz and her mother when you blurted out that Roz was pregnant over the phone, Daphne thought I was dying when I was really in a Christmas play, and Niles was attacked by a Christmas tree in the elevator!"

When Niles sighed deeply, Daphne turned and covered his hand with hers. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Dr. Crane. I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt."

Niles smiled at her. "Thank you Daphne, for taking such good care of me. That means a lot."

"It was my pleasure, Dr. Crane. You've always been such a good friend to me."

"All right, enough of this sentiment." Frasier said. "Now can we _please_ get on with it?"

"I'll drink to that!" Roz said, finishing off the rest of her wine. "Look Frasier, just tell us what this is all about, okay? I have a date in just a few hours! Of course I met him online and the minute he walks into Nervosa and sees how huge I am he's going to turn around and leave!"

"Roz, you know that's not true!" Daphne said.

"Look, can we save the therapy sessions till later?" Frasier asked.

"Come on, Fras! Out with it!" Martin said.

Frasier grinned at his father. "All right. Like I said, my gift doesn't come in a box nor is it an_ emotional gift_. Instead, I have these…" He rose from the sofa and walked around the room handing the small rectangular envelops to his loved ones.

"What's this?" Martin asked.

When all of the envelopes were distributed, Frasier smiled. "It is my pleasure to present you with this gift which is to be used on Christmas Eve."

He watched in wonderment as his family (including Roz and Daphne) opened their envelopes, and he studied the looks on their faces. As expected, there were gasps of surprise and Martin's shout of "Hey, this is all right, Fras!"

But it was Daphne's reaction that he would always remember.


	3. Chapter 3

Frasier watched in amusement as Daphne gasped and sprang from the sofa. "Oh my God, I can't believe it! The Nutcracker Ballet? This is like a dream come true! I've wanted to see this me whole life! Oh, thank you Dr. Crane!"

To Frasier's surprise, she rushed toward him, engulfing him in a hug as she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome Daphne. It was my pleasure." He said, feeling a warmth in his heart that he never knew existed. Daphne gave him one last hug and drew back. "Thank you." She said again. And then she turned to Martin, hugging him in very much the same manner.

"Thank you, Mr. Crane. I can't tell you how much this means to me!"

Uncomfortable with the sentiment, Martin tried to pull out of her arms but she held on tightly. "What are you thanking me for? It was Frasier's idea!"

"But if it weren't for you and your bad hip, I wouldn't even be here right now!" She replied, causing Frasier and Niles to smile in amusement at Martin's surprised reaction.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she turned to Niles, laughing in spite of herself. "Oh Dr. Crane how could I forget you, you sweet man! Thank you so much!"

"Um, you're welcome Daphne, but-."

He was engulfed in her arms, gasping in surprise as the recipient of a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. And when she finally pulled out of his arms, he grinned like a little boy.

Daphne looked around the living room in awe, causing Roz to laugh "Whoa Daphne, you're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this!" Daphne said, addressing the three Crane men. "I mean, I know I'm technically not your family, but I feel like it. Me own family is so far away and even if I were there, I would never have this opportunity. You see, I wanted to see this so badly and every Christmas the answer was the same. _No, Daphne. Your brothers are older and they need to experience life before they go out into the real world_! But now I finally get to see this wonderful ballet for meself! Oh, I can't tell you how many times I used to dream about seeing this on the stage and even sillier, I used to dream that I was Claire and that the Nutcracker turned into a handsome prince right before me eyes, just like in the ballet. So even if it's just by way of having a job, I love being a part of this family."

Frasier smiled proudly as they all shared a collective hug. "My sentiments exactly."

**A/N: TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

"So what time is this ballet production, Frasier?"

"Eight o'clock, Niles. And I managed to use my fame to obtain the most incredible-."

"Box seats, Section F Front Tier?" Niles interrupted, eying the tickets in amazement. "Well, Frasier this is certainly… Why I couldn't even get tickets this close to the stage! What a view we'll have!"

"Exactly, Niles. They are usually impossible to get this time of year, especially to the coveted Nutcracker performances But Roger Cleveland owed me a favor."

"Ah, right. Because of the _faux paus_ he caused you when _Die Zauberflöte_ was in town for one show only!"

Frasier emptied his glass of sherry and shuddered. "Don't remind me, Niles. Oh Lord, that was a disaster to end all disasters! I hope I never have to encounter that situation again!"

"What happened?" Roz asked.

"What happened? _What happened?_" Frasier repeated, his voice rising with every syllable. "I'll tell you _what happened_!" He began to pace the room and his breathing became more pronounced.

"In an effort to impress Deanna Netterfield, an exquisite woman I met while jogging, I decided to take her to an exclusive opera. I called up months in advance and specifically requested two tickets directly in front of the stage, _Orchestra Section A_, seats twelve and thirteen so that we would have an unobstructed view of the performance! They assured me at least a hundred times that there would be no problem and I immediately handed over my American Express Platinum card! Well, imagine my horror when we arrived at the performance only to find that our seats had been… dare I say it… given away!"

Daphne and Martin gasped collectively, leaving Frasier to shake his head. "Exactly!"

"So what happened?" Martin asked.

"Well they had to seat us of course, but we were forced to sit in, dare I say it… the Upper Balcony!"

Martin, Daphne and Roz's audible gasps frightened even Eddie, who darted for the kitchen.

"The nerve of them!" Martin said, a little too dramatically.

"That's horrible! How could they?" Daphne added, trying unsuccessfully to hide her laughter. Roz, meanwhile said nothing, but began laughing as well.

"It's not funny!" Frasier yelled, disgusted by his friends and family's reaction to his night of horror. "Diane was so upset, that she refused to see me again!" He was comforted only by Niles' hand on his shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Frasier. This Deanna person doesn't sound like she was worth your time, and if you ask me, you struck gold out of the situation. Imagine, Section F, Front Tier! I still can't believe it!"Niles said.

Daphne continued to laugh. "All that because of some bloody mistake in the seating arrangements? That's the most ridiculous thing I ever-." But her smile disappeared when she locked eyes with Frasier's angry glare. "I mean… that's horrible and your brother is right. That woman wasn't worth your time! If a man took me to an opera or even a ballet, I wouldn't care where we were sitting, as long as I could see the performance. I'd just be happy to be there with such a thoughtful man. The only dates I ever go on involve a bad movie and even worse food!"

Niles smiled and touched Daphne's back. "That's very admirable of you, Daphne."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane." Daphne replied, rewarding Niles' gesture with a smile. When she saw that Frasier was still angry, her cheeks reddened. "I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. Go on with your story."

Frasier scoffed. "I'm glad you're all so amused, but I think you'll find that these seats will give you an unparalleled experience of what is a very stunning ballet production!"

"Well, thanks Frasier." Martin said. "This isn't at all what I expected but actually I'm kind of glad about that."  
"I'm sure you are, Dad." Frasier replied without as much as a hint of emotion.

"All right, well if this meeting is adjourned, I'm going to see if I can catch the rest of the Sonics game!" Martin said, grabbing his cane and heading for his chair.

Roz crossed the room and grabbed her coat. "I should get going, too. Frank said that he would meet me at Nervosa's, so I made a bet with Taylor about how long he'll stay in there before he sees how big I am."

Daphne smiled sympathetically and hugged her friend. "Oh Roz…"

When Roz was gone, Niles smiled at his brother. "Thank you, Frasier. I'm really looking forward to seeing this performance. I haven't seen this since we were kids. Remember how much Mom loved this?"

Frasier looked at the tickets in Niles' hand and smiled. "She certainly did. And I'd catch her humming the songs all the way into February. I know this isn't a traditional gift by any means, but I thought that it was something that our whole family could enjoy."

"It was a thoughtful gesture." Niles said.

"Daphne certainly thought so." Frasier replied smiling at Daphne wore a faraway look as she stared at the Nutcracker ticket in her hand. After years of agonizing and pondering over finding the perfect Christmas gift for his family and friends, perhaps he had finally gotten it right.


End file.
